Alternative Accommodations
and Camping on Oahu (and/or near Makaha)
0. Vacation Rentals
Of course, you are more than welcome and encouraged to look for a vacation rental condo at any one of the many agencies on the island and in the US mainland or at on-line vacation rental sites. The ones that seemed used most often and those that I recommend are:
Vacation Rental By Owner http://www.vrbo.com
Cyberrentals.com http://www.cyberrentals.com
VacationRentals.com http://www.vacationrentals.com
Redweek (Timeshare rentals) http://www.redweek.com
Some of these on-line sites will let you compare and inquire with private owners in order to rent a vacation condo (small and large / inexpensive to luxurious) anywhere on all the Hawaiian islands and elsewhere throughout the USA and abroad. However, if you do not find what you like or need and are looking for a budget deal for-- especially if you need accommodation for less than one week (minimum stays are usually required for vacation rentals), then you might try one of the following:
1. Hotels and Resorts
If you are visiting the Hawaii islands for the first time and during your first few nights on Oahu, especially with children, I might suggest that you consider one of following options.
There are some sights that you and the kids will want to see and things to do around different parts of Oahu island, so it might be convenient to have a car or -- if not -- to be centrally located such as in Waikiki.
A budget travel tip: Travel to the other islands You might break up your Hawaii trip into stays on other islands -- before or after Oahu (and especially if you cannot find reasonable accommodations then you could spend a few nights on The Big Island or possibly Kauai or Maui or one of the others: Molokai or Lanai. You might find a good deal that includes airfare, accommodation and a rental car so that you get to do a lot in a short while. This may NOT be cheaper -- of course -- but if you are going to have to spend on a once in a lifetime vacation, it might as well be fantastic. On the other hand, if you tried a combination of camping, air-hotel deals and vacation rental or bed & breakfast stays, it does not have to be as expensive as staying in an expensive resort on Oahu or a fine hotel at Waikiki.
The Big Island
Travel Arrangment to other Islands For a basis of comparison, you can try a local tour operator or try this site:Book flights, hotel and car http://alohaislandtours.com/
You can also do something similar for a basis of comparing prices at:Book your own airfare: You can proably come out as cheaply if you book your own round-trip airfare at Alohaairlines.com or Hawaiianairlines.com I am a Star Alliance member so I prefer Aloha because I can accrue miles or redeem them too. Aloha Airlines http://alohaairlines.com/
Big Island accommodations do not have to be so expensive.For example, there are public state and county campgrounds on The Big Island, such a Kalopa State Park with a campground or rental lodge (not far from Honoka'a on the northeast coast; Waipio Valley is just 10 miles away.
Kalani Oceanside Resort has various types of accommodations (rooms, bungalows, etc) including campsites for just $20 a night.
See Kalani Oceanside Resort http://www.kalani.com on the Big Island. You may not need reservations at Kalani either -- just drive in and ask or call ahead. Kalani is a private resort which is located directly across from the ocean in the Puna District which is a great place for truly Hawaiian experience. Many visitors stay in Kailua-Kona (on the West (leeward) side of Hawaii island, but they miss so much by not staying longer in Puna/Pahoa/Kapoho/Volcano -- southeast corner of the Big Island). While it is drier and the beaches are wider and water calmer on the Kona side, there is a very different world -- more tropical and sometimes wetter, cooler too, and with some fantastic sights that you cannot see anywhere else -- many of which are related to the volcanic activity south of Hilo.
In addition to Kalani, you can camp at MacKenzie State Park (on the Red Road on southern Puna coast, this is Hwy 37 (Kalapana-Kapoho Road) and also at Isaac Hale Beach Park While permits are reportedly required, I have rarely obtained one to camp overnight. There are some bed and breakfast and vacation rental condo or houses available on the sites above or try Hotels.com (they have is a special Vacation Rental category) or use Internet search engine to find some on your own.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park http://www.nps.gov/havo/visitor/visit.htm Did you realize that there is a national park on the Big Island -- it surrounds and protects the land and natural beauty around one of the world's most active volcanoes: Kilauea. The slow moving lava flows daily and there are places where you can drive down the Chain of Craters Road via the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to see the lava (You may have to walk (flat road is easy to walk and even wheel chair accessible up to a point). ***Be careful about hiking alone in the lava fields -- it is prohibited by NPS rangers who are there to protect your safety -- although you will find locals who hike into the lava fields to see the flows from the east (Puna/Kalapana side), but I do not advise that without a knowledgeable and trustworthy guide.You can stay quite cheaply by reserving a cabin for $50/night - sleeps four and hotel rooms of various grades/prices are also available at the Volcano House near the park headquarters. Admission fees apply to enter park (about $10 per car).
See Volcano House http://www.volcanohousehotel.com/
Volcano House is located inside the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island (about 30 minutes drive from Hilo or two hours from Kailau-Kona side).
Getting Around
Actually, you can stay most anywhere on the Big Island because it is not difficult to drive most anywhere around the Big Island (allow 2 hours and a bit (if you stop along the way) from Kona to Volcano National Park; one and half hours from Volcano to Honoka'a (and Waipio Valley) -- more if you stop in Hilo and Akaka Falls, etc.Find Driving Guides and Maps for Hawaii and other islands Driving Guides and Maps for Hawaii http://www.driveguidemagazines.com
Oahu
1)a Makaha Resort and Golf Club and Hotels in Waikiki
Located in Makaha Valley (next door to Makaha Valley Plantation and close to Makaha Towers) is the former Sheration Golf Resort now called Makaha Resort. It boasts an outstanding 18-hole championship golf course with low green fees, a nice restaurant with live entertainment and special events on weekends and one of the cheapest hotel rates on Oahu. You can either call the directly or check out Hotels.com http://www.hotels.com
The Hotels.com site allows you to search by location AND also you can search for larger groups (7-20 adults and multiple rooms). They also list vacation condos which are corporately managed (different that the vacation rentals which are individually managned -- mainly by the owner as listed above).Recently I stayed at the Makaha Resort for $75 a night and also I found a suite for a group (two bedrooms with sofa bed) that would sleep 7 adults for $131.00 in the middle of summer. So check it out. Makaha Resort Golf Club 84-626 Makaha Valley Road Waianae HI 96792 800-346-8357 Another hint: You may find a deal with some the Timeshare Resorts -- Ko Olina (Marriott) and Hawaiian Hilton Village (Waikiki), etc -- see more info below. They regularly offer "deals" to get potential timeshare buyers to stay in their properties - treating them to discounts on stay and free meals but with a very heavy dose of high pressure marketing. However, it may be worth it if you can hold off signing up to buy for a $30,000 timeshare.
1)b Outrigger and Ohana Hotels offer fairly reasonable prices for family accommodation. You can look for availability at their websites on the Internet. Ask them about upgrades to a mini-suite, kitchenettes, or their Fly and Drive program that provides a rental car as part of the hotel package at considerable savings. For more info, try http://www.ohanahotels.com
1)c Hostels and backpacker's accommodation -- There are a couple of hostels and backpackers's accomodations in Honolulu -- I don't know the address but you can always try the Yellow Pages or (Superpages on-line versions) or call Honolulu directory assistance.
1)d INTERNET SEARCH Try one of the online hotel booking sites, such as Hotels.com Priceline.com (where you can set your own price), Orbitz.com, Yahoo Travel (associated with Travelocity.com), Expedia.com, Ubid.com (new to the travel biz), Kayak.com, and several others. Sometime you can get good deals on last minute travel: at Hotels.com and Hotwire.com Typically, there are discounts for staying 3 nights or more. At Priceline.com, you can even set your own price. It pays first to browse around for prices to get a good idea of what is a reasonable offer.
2) CAMPING
- Note that there are some differences between State and County parks -It is usually easier to get a permit to camp in a county park -even the same day as you camp-- State parks require permits in advance.
Big Island camping was mentioned above, below we are mainly talking about Oahu.
A less well-known option is to go camping for one or more of those first three days. Both state and country parks on Oahu allow car camping (using a tent -- no RVs or trailers). While bringing a big tent just for three days may be inconvenient, remember that you could possibly rent a tent or just buy a cheap one (there are Costco, Kmart and Walmart stores in a few locations on the Oahu.)
Camping at a State park does require a permit which you can apply for within 30 days (but not less than 7 days), contact State office at: Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of State Parks, Oahu District 1151 Punchbowl Street, Room 310 Honolulu, Hawai'i 96813 Phone 808-587-0300 Fax 808-587-0311 Their web site is:
http://www.hawaii.gov/dlnr/Welcome.html
This site includes info about camping permits, fees and a PDF
file (to download and print out) for the permit application by
mail. http://www.hawaii.gov/dlnr/dsp/fees.html
State parks have camping and car-camping day and time restrictions. On Oahu (at least in recent past), state park campgrounds are open only from Friday through Tuesday. All state parks are gated with opening/closing 7:00am - 6:45pm (one hour later closing in "school vacation season" (April 1-Labor Day).
CAMPING at COUNTY PARKS
Camping is quite possible and easier to obtain at city and county parks - although there are some possible problems too.
NOTE: There are a county parks near Mai'li, Waianae and Makaha (Kea'au County Beach Park is just 1/4 mile north of Makaha Beach) that have campsites (with public car parking nearby). There are usually a picnic table at the site, public restrooms with cold water showers, and BBQ grills (and charcoal dumpsters). There are other county parks with public campgrounds at other locations on Oahu (Honolulu County) -- see list below.
BE AWARE that some homeless persons also stay on these campgrounds -- many of whom do so for long stays -- while there is no reason to be afraid -- you should still be cautious about leaving your possessions, esp valuables unattended.
The city and county of Honolulu also has its own set of county
parks across Oahu - most all are accessbile by car and have
parking. Permits are required for the
county's car campgrounds. BUT you can usually get them the day before (possibly even the same day you camp if you arrive early.
While the county office prefers that you come for info and permits in person, you can at least inquire about camping information and getting permits for the county parks from:
The county office prefers you to come in person for permits. The building is located near South King and Alapai Streets. You should be able to arrange with them to come directly to pick up the permits (a day before your stay) if all else fails.
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There are public campgrounds at the following locations on Oahu (note under whose authority S= state, C - County (Contact appropriate office above)
Public Campgrounds on Oahu
Park Name Type (State/City or County) Nearest Town Info
|
Kaiaka S Haleiwa beach
|
Keaiwa Heiau S Aeia, Honolulu low mountain area with
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Makaekahana State Rec Area S Kahuku beach
|
(808)293-1736 to reserve cabin or campsite
|
Sand Island S Honolulu beach
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Waimanalo Bay S Waimanalo beach
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Bellows Field C Waimanalo beach
|
Kahana Bay C Kaaawa, Punaluu beach
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Kualoa C Kaneohe (Windward shore) beach
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Makapuu C Waimanalo beach
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Mokuleai C Waialua beach
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LEEWARD COAST: (on Hwy 93 (Farrington Hwy on the way or at Makaha/Waianae) |
Nanaku'uli Beach Park C Nanaku'uli (HI93) beach
|
Ma'ili (sometimes spelled Maile) C Ma'ili (HI93) beach
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Kea'au Beach Park (just beyond Makaha Beach) C Makaha beach
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LEEWARD COAST: (on Hwy 93 (Farrington Hwy on the way or at Makaha/Waianae)
There are camping sites in the county parks above. It is best to contact County Dept of Parks and Recreation (see telephone /address above) although you may find that some people who are 'camping' evidently do not have permits. The Dept of Parks/Rec officials are not unfriendly and no one is going to call the cops or Highway Patrol on you if you do not have a permit but you should respect those around you, and go to pay for a permit(nominal fees). While the Park authorities do not patrol these parks daily, they do patrol at times. If there is a disturbance or disorderly conduct, the police may come on the scene and would ask for permits. Authorities can and do ask people to move on who overstay the limits or abuse the park or who disturb citizens who want to use it. There is a limit to the number of consecutive days that anyone can camp at the parks --even if they do have permits.
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3) Bed and Breakfast
Bed and Breakfast Hawaii (800-733-1632)
Bed and Breakfast Honolulu (800-288-4666)
4) RENT A TIME-SHARE
a) Redweek.com is a Internet listing for timeshare rentals (and sales). There are other such sites that offer open (unused) weeks at timeshare resorts; either for rent by that week's owner or by the resort itself. Another possibility is to check out Ebay.com, which offers vacation rentals in its travel section of its online auction.
b) Timeshare Marketing Campaign Lastly, a few of the major hotel and resort chains offer reduced prices on accommodations for a short-term stay (2-5 days) if you agree to attend a "sales promotion" meeting or session for purchasing their time-share vacation condominiums. While I don't recommend buying one, you can enjoy several days in a very nice hotel-resort for a reduced cost as long as you can "overcome" the high power sales tactics. The Hilton Hawaiian Village and Ko Olina (not far from Makaha) offer such package deals as part of their marketing promotion for their time-share properties.
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I hope you find my suggestions helpful. Makaha is a beautiful scenic environment and is pretty isolated¡ªfar from the maddening crowd of tourist in Waikiki-- so I think you'll enjoy it. It has some amazing natural sites and a chance for great marine sports and outdoor recreation. But getting to see the rest of the island takes some thoughtful planning too and should be part of your vacation plans too. You can see more Oahu attractions at: http://www.geocities.com/makahavp/Oahu_attractions.html
David Brooks makahavp_vacation
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/makahavp_vacation
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